Star-Crossed Lovers
by america-is-gay
Summary: America and Russia go out stargazing to watch the Space Station pass by.


The cool, crisp air smelt of autumn. That familiar, warm scent of fall; withering foliage and, Alfred could swear, pumpkin. Alfred shrunk further into his sweatshirt. It was cold.

Sitting in the back of a Toyota pick up, Alfred and Ivan stared up at the night sky. That big, indigo void with a million of blinking eyes. Alfred looked at them and wondered if there were any planets the way he was facing, with another creature staring back in his direction, wondering if there was any out there looking back at him.

Unblinking, not taking his eyes of the sky for a second, he slid over to Ivan and pressed himself up against him. Ivan gave him a kiss on the cheek and wrapped an arm around him.

"It's beautiful out, da?" he asked in a wondrous tone.

"Yeah," Al answered, as if in a trance.

He turned to face Ivan, smiled sadly and said, "I wanted to be an astronaut, you know. I wanted to go on the Apollo 11. Be the first person on the moon."

"I remember when Gagarin made it to space," Ivan mused in a soft, nostalgic voice. Alfred knew this voice well. Every word spoken by Ivan of the past was uttered in this voice. "I watched every news report I could find on the topic."

"Yeah," Alfred sighed. "I remember that, too. I also remember watching the moon landing."

"Ah, da, I recall that day," recollected Ivan. "I was in my house, sitting in the large living room with the Baltics. I was more excited than any of them. 'One small step for man,'"

"-One giant leap for mankind." finished Alfred, sliding away from Ivan to stretch himself out and lay down in the back of the truck.

"You may have beaten me to space, but I beat you there," he declared, one arm tossed behind his head, the other pointing to the milky orb of the moon.

"Maybe," Ivan said, violet eyes fixed on the sky. "I'll get there, some day. Once humans have a mode of commercial space travel. I'll get there."

"We both will," Alfred said, voice full of determination and resolve.

It was silent for a while after he spoke.

When Alfred had his mind set on something, he could do anything. He could move mountains or carve valleys. And as he lay there, staring at the sky, a feeling washed over him. A feeling of wonder, of wanderlust. All he wanted was to see it. He wanted to look off the moon and see Earth, to look into space and see the full beauty of the stars. He wanted to find other planets. He wanted to so badly it made his chest ache.

Alfred knew he'd get there. His people were much like himself; if they really wanted to do something, they would do it. If they ever wanted—or needed—commercial space flight, they'd make it happen. And he'd bring Ivan. He'd hold his hand as they looked out the window at the stars. He'd watched the big guy's face as he gaped in wonder.

He extended his arm to Ivan, and who looked at him quizzically.

"Lay down with me, you giant dunce," Alfred said, enunciating each syllable.

Ivan laughed bashfully, and then joined Alfred, who then latched on to him, nuzzling and kissing his cheek before rolling back over.

They lay silent, looking at the stars, when suddenly Ivan gasped.

"Alfred! I just saw a shooting star!"

Alfred smiled.

"Did you make a wish?"

"Yes," Ivan said.

"Whadja wish for?"

Ivan hid his face in his hands.

"I can't tell you!" he said, and Alfred could hear the smile in his voice.

"Aw, c'mon," Alfred protesting, nudging the Russian with his shoulder.

"I can't!" Ivan said, giggling and curling into a ball. "It's nothing important. Any other wish I may have had has since been fulfilled."

Alfred raised an eyebrow and turned to face Ivan.

"What wishes are those?"

Ivan smiled and looked at Al.

"To have a friend," he answered. "To have someone who likes me."

Alfred smiled and rolled back over to hug Ivan.

"I love you," Alfred said sternly. "Don't forget that."

"I will not," Ivan assured him.

"Good," Al said, flopping onto his back once again to look back up at the stars. "But, hey, when's the space station supposed to fly by?"

"Soon, I think," Ivan told him, after checking his watch. "it's 10:24, and the lady on the news said 10:30."  
Alfred nodded.

The night was silent and still, everything preserved and stifled by the thin sheet of frost coating the ground. It was nice. Alfred liked silence and peace, and liked to remember not all the world was loud and chaotic. There were still simple pleasures, like the stillness of the night. He watched the thin tendrils of steam raising from his lips, watching it float up and disappear.

And then he noticed it. The small dot traversing East to West. Al sprung up, crying "Ivan, look!"

Ivan sat up, following Al's finger to the small point of light.

"There it is, Ivan!" Alfred said, excitement bubbling out of him.

Ivan just smiled, and stared up at the Space Station, imaging if anyone was looking down on Earth right now.

"Oh man!" Al said, wide-eyed. "There are people in that tiny little dot!"

"Wave, Alfred," Ivan said, chuckling. "One may be looking down at you."

Al jumped of the back of the truck and began to wave.

"Yo space guys!" he cried. Ivan smiled, turning his gaze back up at the Space Station.

Then he waved, saluting his, Al's, and the other nations' people who were up there.

Al flopped back down back on the back of the truck, eyes still gleaming.

Ivan embraced him, pulling him close.

Alfred was glad for the company, especially Ivan's. His warmth seeped into Al, and Al realized how cold he was. They'd have to get going after the satellite made its full arc, or he'd catch a cold.

And so, intertwined and bright-eyed, the two nations watched the space station finish it's journey across their sky.

A few moments after it had passed, Alfred turned to Ivan, smiled, and said, "thanks, dude. It means a lot you'd come out here." And then he kissed him.

"You're welcome," Ivan said, breathless. "I'm glad to have you at all."

And then they kissed again.

After they parted, Alfred shivered, teeth chattering. "C-come on," he stammered. "L-let's get home. It's fr-freezing ou-t-t here."

Ivan laughed. He wasn't cold; it took much harsher temperatures to make him cold. He took off his scarf, and then wrapped it around Alfred. Alfred was speechless for a moment, but he was grateful, but his teeth were chattering too bad for him to speak.  
Ivan hugged him tightly, only letting go once Al stopped shivering.

"Alright," Ivan said. "Let's get you home and I'll make you some hot chocolate, da?"

Alfred nodded. "Thank you, big guy."

And then then opened the car doors and hopped in. Alfred drove them home; neither of them spoke a word on the drive home, but instead just smiled and enjoyed each others' presence.


End file.
